Our cleaning expert tried the electric scrubber that’s all over TikTok — here’s what she thought
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Nifty-looking cleaning tools are all over TikTok — steamers, spin mops and all sorts of other incredible whirling gadgets — but almost no tool shows up on CleanTok as often as the electric scrubber.
Electric scrub brushes are battery-operated, rechargeable cleaning tools that come with a selection of detachable brush heads and, in some models, scrubbing, scouring and buffing pads. They can perform a wide variety of cleaning jobs, from basics like scrubbing the sink or tub to detail work like scouring grout.
But is it the essential cleaning tool it looks to be in all those short-form cleaning videos? Or is it the sort of thing you’ll buy and use once, maybe twice, before stashing in a storage closet, destined to become mere clutter? To find out, I tested one of the most popular electric scrubbers on Amazon — here’s what I thought.
Voweek Electric Spin Scrubber
The Voweek Electric Spin Scrubber includes four attachments for a variety of jobs, and the brush head can be angled in three directions to get into tight or oddly shaped spaces. It also has an adjustable telescoping handle and two speed settings.
What we liked about it
It’s great for deep cleaning
I was truly impressed by this electric scrubber. It makes quick work of chores that involve scrubbing, but where it really shines is deep-cleaning jobs — even stubborn, hard-to-reach spots. When I tested this gadget, it thoroughly cleaned the tub and shower, scouring away bacteria and buildup from hard-to-clean spots like the area around drains and the lip between the sink and the counter. It even takes the backbreaking work out of scrubbing grout lines.
If you frequently have deep-cleaning jobs on your to-do list, or if you’re looking for a tool to help make spring cleaning and other seasonal jobs easier, an electric scrubber would be a worthwhile investment.
It has an adjustable handle
My favorite feature of the electric brush is its telescoping handle, which allows me to clean hard-to-reach areas without bending, crouching or kneeling. As a short person with a disability that makes kneeling and reaching painful and dangerous, the scrubber served as an assistive device, helping to make up for what I lack in height and wingspan, and mitigating the limitations of my physical impairment.
The scrubber can be adjusted to 27, 36 or 47 inches in length, depending on the job at hand. For cleaning floors, tubs and other out-of-reach places, use all three poles for maximum extension. Or, you can attach the brush heads directly to the motorized handle for smaller jobs like cleaning stovetops or scrubbing a sink.
For this reason, I would recommend the electric scrubber without reservation for short people who struggle to complete basic cleaning tasks without the use of a ladder, as well as for anyone who suffers from a disability, injury or other mobility issue that prevents or imperils their ability to perform basic cleaning tasks.
It’s easy — and fun — to use
The Voweek electric scrubber is very easy to use. Just charge it (the battery life is up to 120 minutes), assemble it to the length you want, attach your preferred brush head and start scrubbing. It includes four attachments: a large flat brush, a small flat brush, a large dome-shaped brush and a small pointed brush. Similar models may also include flat pads for scouring, polishing and buffing. A set of replacement brushes for the Voweek can be purchased separately; however, additional types of attachments, such as scouring pads or chamois for buffing, are not available for the model I have.
It operates on two speeds — the low speed is 300 revolutions per minute (RPM), and the high speed is 380 RPM. For most cleaning jobs, I found that the low speed was more than adequate. It can be used with water or cleaning agents like all-purpose spray, foaming kitchen and bathroom cleaning products, cream cleansers and more. When used with cleaning agents, the scrubber allows users to achieve a deeper clean than manual scrubbing can deliver.
This electric spin scrubber was also a lot of fun to use! That may seem like an inconsequential feature, but for many people, the barrier to cleaning is simply that they hate doing it — however, a tool that makes the job fun changes the entire attitude toward tackling a dreaded chore.
The fact that it’s fun to use may even help coax reluctant members of your household to try their hand at basic chores. If you’re struggling to convince your partner, children, roommates or other members of your household to do their part when it comes to cleaning, an electric scrubber could help make chores a more fun (or at least not totally horrible) task.
What we didn’t like about it
With all that said, I don’t feel that an electric scrubber is an absolutely necessary tool to have in your cleaning arsenal. I would categorize it as a “nice-to-have” rather than a “must-have” tool. It’s not something I would reach for to perform everyday cleaning because of the time it takes to assemble, use, disassemble, clean and put away the parts.
Similarly, for weekly or regular tasks like cleaning the bathroom, the added setup the scrubber requires could be a barrier to regular use. But because the electric scrubber is so fun to use, it counterbalances the fact that using it does require a bit more time and effort to set up and put away.
Bottom line
The Voweek electric scrubber is an effective cleaning tool that works well and is a lot of fun to use. It is, however, not absolutely necessary. Before purchasing one, I would encourage you to consider two factors: Do you have the space to store a cleaning tool that has several parts, and will you realistically use it often enough to justify the money and space it will take up?
Still, the electric scrubber is a fantastic tool for people like me, who are short and who have some mobility issues. It is also an excellent tool for deep cleaning, so if you’re a person who does not clean often enough or who has a lot of heavy-duty spring cleaning chores on their to-do list, the Voweek Electric Spin Scrubber will be a smart buy.
And I’m not kidding when I say it’s really fun to use. After my initial testing, I found myself looking for more jobs to tackle with the electric brush. (In fairness, I am a person who is naturally excited about cleaning, but the scrubber made me super excited about cleaning — and I think many people will find the same to be true.)
So, if you’re looking to add a little power to your weekly cleaning routine or you just want a tool that can help to make deep cleaning chores a little less labor-intensive, consider buying an electric scrubber of your own.
Note: The prices above reflect the retailers' listed price at the time of publication.
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